Ancient China

In ancient china there were many ruling dynasties. Two of the most successful dynasties were the Han, and the Qin (Ch'in). These dynasties had different philosophies in which to rule society. The Han Dynasty used the principles of Confucianism, and the Qin Dynasty used the philosophy of Legalism. Both achieved various levels of success.

The Han Dynasty believed that the ideas and principles of Confucianism were the best ways to govern a society. They believed that the only person who should get a certain job is the person that is best suited for that position. To be hired for certain jobs, one was required to take a civil service exam. This was a test that was created to see who is prepared best for the job. The Confucians thought that people should be treated equal regardless of social status. The Han Dynasty was very successful. It lasted for over 400 years.

The Han dynasty was able to accomplish a lot for the 400 years that it was in power. They were able to create a form of paper out of wood pulp. The basic idea for making paper is still used today. They also invented Acupuncture. This is a method that physicians still use today. In the process of it needles are carefully place in the patient's skin, at pressure points. This relieves stress and relaxes the patient. The astronomers also made discoveries of eclipses. An astronomer named Wang Chong studied the occurrences of eclipses. He deduced that lunar eclipses occurred ever 180 days and a solar eclipse occurred every 41 to 42 months. After Chong collected his data and presented it to the government, he argued that scientific theories should be proven true before being accepted, and presented to public. The Han Dynasty is s dynasty to never forget. Without their advances we would never have paper, or certain astronomical advances.